


Over A Cup Of Ebony...

by StylishChocobutt



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-02-14 12:13:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13007538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StylishChocobutt/pseuds/StylishChocobutt
Summary: Dribs and drabs, some of which came from Ko-fi. Completed during my hectic University schedule.Chap One: Prompto's stayed out late; again. But hey, at least he has his keys, right? Uh, wrong. Time for operation 'sneak into the house before Cor grounds him for life' Prompto & Dad!Cor.Chap Two: It's Christmas, and Prompto has the perfect gift for Noctis.





	1. Forgotten Keys

**Author's Note:**

> Requested by Erza, on ko-fi!

Okay so maybe staying out at the arcade until the early hours of the morning had been a stupid idea. Just slightly. But hey, who was Prompto to defy the heir of Lucis a few more rounds on the coolest new fighting simulator; that’d be treason, right? Besides, who could seriously say no to Noctis when he’s in such a huff from a day of meetings and reports? That, that is how Prompto faces his first dilemma of the night, stepping into the dim light of his house.

It’s dark, probably has been for a while. There aren’t any lights on inside the house; not that he expected any. His dad’s busy with work; and frankly, chances are he hasn’t even been home yet to realise the blond’s late-night antics. A chill of cold air brushes past him and breaks him from his thoughts; a brief and uncalled for shiver wracking his body as he steps up to the door, hand already delving into his pockets for his keys.

Nope. Not there. He digs around in his other pocket; a distinct lack of metallic jingling as he does so. Okay, no need to panic. Besides, this wouldn’t be the first time he’d gone out and left his keys on the side – that was just the joy of automatic locking doors. Which sucked. A lot. Though, admitting to Cor that he’d left his keys inside was far outweighed by the need to keep himself un-grounded and in the man’s good books.

“Ookay, just like on those Assassin games.. Gotta’ find another way in…”

Turns out, fumbling through the dark to the back of the house was a lot easier imagined than done; and it took several awkward falls or knocked over plant pots before he’d successfully reached the kitchen window. Cor keeps this one unlocked. There’s a nasty racoon infestation in the neighbourhood, and – much to Prompto’s amusement – Cor’s had one of those water spray things sat on the kitchen side for weeks. Waiting for the little creature to pop its head up. Of course, so far, unsuccessful.

Judging by the mess of bin bags a small distance away, spilled across the grass:

Racoon 12, Cor 0. Not that Prompto was counting.

Reaching up and wrapping his chilled fingers around the frame, he gives it an experimental push. Sure enough, it budges slightly. Unlocked, sure, but the damn thing was stiff as anything from the lack of use and probably rusted all to hell. Another push and it budges a bit further.

By this point, Prompto’s dropped his bag down and shifted his weight, planting both feet firmly on the muddy ground.

Just before he gives it another rough shake, a droplet lands on his hand.

Then another.

And another;

Until it’s quite literally a downpour.

Rain had been forecast; but Prompto hadn’t exactly been paying attention this morning and unsurprisingly his umbrella was exactly where the keys were-

Inside.

Freaking inside.

Where’s he?

Outside.

Good job, Prom.

With the rain bearing down on him, he grabs a hold of the window once more before giving it an incredibly rough push. It slides open with a creak and groan; and with that, that’s how the blond finds himself pulling himself through the small-as-hell gap into the kitchen; rather ungracefully landing on his butt as he slips off of the counter.

“Hah! Eat that, Creed.”

No one’s listening; but he’s proud of himself anyway. Dragging his phone free from his jeans pocket, he flicks the flashlight app on and lights up the immediate room. Yeah, they have electricity; but with his dad busy so much, there’s not really a need to waste it on the small amount of time the blond is actually at home as opposed to the Noct’s apartment.

Still, there’s a dish left out on the side all covered in clingfilm. Stepping closer, Prompto shines the torch over the note next to it;

‘Eat up kid, it’s a late one. – Cor’

They’re all late ones; but Prompto isn’t complaining as he unwraps and swipes up a sandwich from the plate, wandering through into the living room without switching the light on. Munching the sandwich down, he throws himself down on the sofa before stretching out; like a lazy cat. A lazy, wet, cat. But, he’s tired and cold, and doesn’t think twice about what his soggy clothing’s going to do to the upholstery;

In fact, he doesn’t think much, as the moment his head hits the misshapen pillows, he’s asleep. The phone in his hand slips to the floor with a small ‘thud.’

 

* * *

 

 

Late nights were a regular thing for Cor Leonis; especially this time of year. The Crownsguard had hit recruitment era and vetting the prospective candidates had taken a lot longer than expected; though it was no surprise that the clock on the dashboard of his car already read far past three in the morning by the time he pulled into the driveway.

No lights on in the house; the kid’s probably asleep. Cor’s raised him, but if he’s honest with himself, he hasn’t been around much lately. He hates that but at the same time he’s well aware that his duty to the King and Insomnia takes priority; plus, Prompto’s pretty resourceful. Good grades, no issues at school, what more could he expect from the kid?

Stepping out of the car and making his way up to the door, he reaches into his pocket and pulls his keys free. Unlocking the door, he kicks his shoes off and makes his way through the entrance hall into the living room; reaching up and absently flicking a light on as he walks past the switch.

What he didn’t expect however, was to set eyes on the spread-out teen on the couch, clothes clearly damp from the previous downpour – which had been hell to drive through, to say the least.

“Could of at least made it upstairs, kid.” He grumbles, reaching across to the other chair for one of the spare blankets. He’s smiling though.

Settling the blanket over the blond, he watches for a moment; vaguely remembers the chubby face of the infant he’d absconded from Niflheim with.

They grow up fast.

With a roll of his eyes, Cor steps across the room and flicks the light switch back off; enshrouding the space in darkness once more. Might as well let the kid sleep; he can point out the damp sofa tomorrow.


	2. 'Freedom' for Mythrilrain on Tumblr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As part of the FFXV Small Secret Santa, this was written for Mythrilrain

What do you buy for the guy that has everything? That’s a tough question. And it’s one Prompto’s determined to figure out; but apparently even having Ignis on speed dial isn’t going to save him this year. There’d been that new edition of Justice Monsters. Prompto had caught Noct staring at the commercial more than once on a lazy afternoon at his place; and yet of course, being the prince, they’d brought the release date forward _just for him._

Sure, they’d spent the next few days surrounded by snacks as they played; but that wasn’t the point. That had been Prompto’s best idea for a Christmas gift.

And that’s exactly how he finds himself shivering against the first few flakes of snowfall; arms hugged around himself and face buried as far into his scarf as he can get it… Stepping out into the cold from the previous warmth of the store behind. There’s a small bag dangling from his free hand, rustling in the breeze; and the weight of the present within is totally distracting.

Still, it’s Christmas eve, and Prompto’s _very determined._

Noct’s probably going to laugh, or think it’s cheesy. But hey, at least he’s tried.

Ordinarily he’d grab a taxi back to Noct’s place; a one-off months back that was now becoming more of a habit each day. At first Noct had sent Ignis round any time Prompto needed a lift; but after about two trips, the blond chickened out; it wasn’t the retainer’s job to haul his poor ass around. In the end, he’d picked up another part time job.

And then two more, _but hey, who’s counting?_

The walk back is freezing but there’s a certain pleasure to it; watching kids on the street trying to tuck as much snow as they can into their gloves, before pelting it at eachother. There’s a certain innocence to that, enough of one to bring a small smile to Prompto’s lips under the scarf. Tensions between Niflheim and Lucis have been growing recently, and although Noct does his best to shrug it off and pretend that it’s nothing – Prompto’s no fool. He’s seen the way the prince’s shoulders are tensed, seen the endless reports that seem to stack up on the table day after day, and how when he thinks no one’s looking; how Noct lets his eyes wander to the Citadel in the distance.

With the apartment not far from the store, it’s not long before Prompto’s offering a brief greet to the guard and stepping inside; over to the elevator, and prodding at the button for one of the higher floors.

There’s a brief wait as the elevator ascends and he’s soon stepping out and over to the familiar door of Noct’s apartment. Setting the bag down on the floor, Prompto digs around in his pocket before pulling a key free; the indentation feeling cool yet familiar in his hand as he takes a brief glance at it. There’s a small indentation in the top marking it as a replica; a replica to the one Noct has hanging on his keychain.

Slipping the key into the lock, swiping up the bag, and stepping into the apartment isn’t exactly silent and he’s greeted by a rather tired and muffled sounding:

“Could have given me more than ten minutes, Ignis.”

It’s muffled – probably by a cushion, knowing Noct – but it’s audible enough. Prompto sets his keys down on the side and kicks his shoes off before heading through to the joint lounge and kitchen. “False alarm, bud. Just me!” He chimes, whilst tactfully hiding the bag behind his back. There’s the brief crumple of plastic, but Noct doesn’t seem to notice.

 

The whole room is covered in tacky Christmas decorations. Prompto’s idea, of course. There’s tinsel hanging around the edge of the room and Christmas lights sparkling over the windows. Of course, no room is complete without the obnoxiously big Christmas tree in the corner, either. It’s a miracle they got it through the door.

Noct’s led across the couch, reports bundled around and over the floor; in favour of keeping the coffee table for snack space. There’s one in his hand, but the prince near immediately discards it and shifts position the blink tiredly up at the enthusiastic blond.

“Those snacks?” Noct asks, pointing towards…

 _The bag._ Of course. Prompto’s got about as much grace and tact as an adamantoise.

“Uh, what? This? No! This is-.. Uh, pens! Stationary! Yeah. With all those reports and stuff, figured I’d help you out!” Great excuse, totally nailing it Prom, he mentally reprimanded himself.

“You’re..” Noct started, sitting up already with an incredulous look on his otherwise tired face. “Going to help me with statistical increases in Niflheim activity and business reports covering this weeks activity in the stock market?”

There’s a moment where Prompto just stands there; those words going straight over his head before he _laughs._

“Dude! How long did you spend reciting those long word- Unf!” Prompto’s joke is immediately cut off by a well-aimed pillow in his direction; striking him straight in the face and causing enough surprise for him to drop the bag.

The bag that doesn’t sound one bit like stationary. The box inside isn’t light at all.

Noct might have made another comment on Prompto’s rude remark; but his attention has already drifted to the discarded bag by the blond’s feet. Hell, he’s up on his feet and plucking it from the floor before Prompto can even move. “What, you bought lead stationary or something?” He asks as he weighs the plastic bag in hand.

Prompto’s pretty sure by this point the floor opening and swallowing him up would be a gift from the Six. Well, it wasn’t going to be a huge surprise anyway. “I was uh, going to sneak that under the Christmas tree.”

Noct blinks, before taking a peek in the bag – likely noticing the bright wrapping over the box before a smirk falls onto his lips. “Stationary? Really?”

“What! Give a guy some time to think up an excuse next time, dude!” Prompto huffs, plucking the bag free from Noct’s grip. The games up regardless, and judging by the pile of reports on the floor, Noct could probably use an early gift.

He fishes it free from the bag; a small box all covered in green and red Christmas wrapper. There’s small chocobos printed over it too with little santa hats. It’s childish, really, but hell- Noct’s just about holding back a smile at the stupid decoration.

“It uh, I mean, if you don’t like it, it’s totally okay!-“ His excuses don’t get far as Noct reaches forward and takes the small box in one hand,

And Prompto’s hand in the other.

He leads them both to the couch with a lazy grin, absently pushing even more files onto the floor to make space for the blond – who perches anxiously on the edge of the furniture as Noct sits down. It’s silly; they’ve been on-off dating for months, but Prompto’s still nervous as all hell. Noct casts him a brief look of amusement before carefully unwrapping the gift and popping open the box.

There’s a brief moment of silence as the gift inside is revealed. Prompto immediately feels stupid; it’s a bracelet – leather, much like the ones he’s taken to wearing during practice. Sure, he wears his for entirely different reason – hiding what’s beneath – but there’s a comfort in the material against his skin. And, as such, he’s gotten Noct one. It’s split into three rounds, making it look like three separate bracelets if not for the two pins holding them together – two golden bird wings.

It was something Noct had said back at the beginning of their friendship. An off-hand comment that had stuck with Prompto to this day; they’d been out in the park after binging on video games and had spotted a group of doves flying over the City.

_Must be nice. To be free like that._

Those had been Noct’s words. A quick and quiet comment that perhaps he’d meant to keep for himself, but still, it had stayed with Prompto and inspired the gift.

Still, the stunned silence from Noct is hardly comforting, and he starts to blur out:

“It’s okay if you don’t like them! I just thought-“

For the third time that night, Prompto doesn’t quite finish his sentence. Noct has slipped the bracelet free of the case and onto his wrist, there’s a small moment where he turns his hand over to admire the leather before he’s shifted position to face Prompto.

Prompto barely gets a moment to register the smirk on the prince’s expression slip to a genuine smile, before Noct’s leaned forward and pressed his lips to the blond’s. Any hope of staying perched on the edge of the sofa is immediately forgotten as Prompto relaxes back; Noct following with one hand gently resting on his bare shoulder, fingers tracing over the skin and trailing down to the blond’s hand before he finally pulls free of the kiss.

“Thanks, Prom.”

Noct says; and means it. Not just for the gift, but for the remembrance behind it and the reminder that although he may not be free of his duties, the freedom he felt around the blond was real.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As part of the FFXV Small Secret Santa, this was written for Mythrilrain


	3. 'Gift' - For Astrid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna wakes to find a gift, tucked away in Umbra's sash. It brings back memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, Astrid! <3 Thirst Squad Secret Santa, though this is entirely SFW.

Before she opens her eyes, the sound of waves crashing up against the small port is what wakes her. The to and fro of moving water, as if Leviathan herself had been summoned from the depths. Rain crashed against the window; which had been left slightly ajar the previous night, allowing a crisp and cold breeze into the room. The rite was fast approaching, yet Luna still had a good week to pretend that her destiny did not weigh her down. And a good week it was going to be; her last week, most likely. But right now, that didn’t matter.

There was something slightly strange this morning though; an unfamiliar weight on her legs – and that was more than enough for the blonde to push aside the duvet and open her eyes.

On the end of the bed, Umbra’s ears perked up as he shuffled to allow Luna to move her legs free from where he’d trapped them. A couple of tail wags and a soppy expression was all it took for her to forgive the fact he was up on the bed. No amount of telling him ‘not on the furniture’ was going to sway his determination apparently.

“Umbra, you’ve returned.” She chimed, stating the obvious as she pulled herself to her feet and draped the duvet around herself. Her pale skin shone ivory in the occasional strips of sunlight that penetrated the cloud cover outside as she crossed the room and dipped her hand into the dog’s green sash.

Where she expected to withdraw the familiar weight of the notebook, instead she found herself grasping a small box wrapped with golden ribbon. Noctis had arrived in Altissia but the day before, and it seemed he’d had time to shop; the label dangling from the ribbon clearly read ‘Altissia’s finest.’

Finest what?

Settling herself back down on the edge of the bed aside Umbra, she pulled the ribbon gently free and allowed it to drop to the sheets. Removing the lid, she set her gaze on the gift within; wrapped in plastic – though the smell that escaped the box was all too familiar.

Fudge. Freshly made, too.

A note sat aside the goods, which she quickly read.

Luna,

I’m not good at gifts. Tried asking Specs to help me out but he just said ‘pick something she’ll like.’ Lot of help that was. Anyway, you brought me some fudge back in Tenebrae, I don’t know if you remember. 

I hope you enjoy it, it won't be long until we see each other. I'm sorry it's taken so long,

Noctis

She did.

She remembered how the young boy’s face had lit up as he placed the first piece of fudge in his mouth and had bitten down on it, how his cheeks – which had been void of such ever since the injury – coloured immediately as he dug out another piece, and that joined the first in being munched faster than a chocobo with its greens. He’d been smiling the entire time, offering her pieces, and it had warmed her heart so.

She remembered how he’d expressed his gratitude to her, with smears of chocolate fudge on his face – she’d neglected to mention this to him; it had been endearing to see him acting his age and smiling as much as he should.

_“These are the best!” He’d exclaimed. “When I get back to Insomnia, I’m going to send you some from the City, I swear!”_

_She’d laughed and questioned whether Umbra would be okay with that._

_“He can have some too, right, Umbra?” Noctis had suggested, looking over to where Umbra sat patiently, ears perked up.  “It uh, it won’t melt, will it?”_

_“No,” Luna had replied, “I don’t suppose it would.”_

Now, as she gripped the small package in her hands, she found a similar smile slipping onto her lips as it had done Noctis’ so long ago. Delving into the wrapping, she plucked a piece free; biting down and enjoying the taste as a mixture of chocolate and cinnamon swirled over her tongue.

Setting the rest aside for later, she retrieved her silk dressing gown from the bed and pulled it over her body. The rain had paused outside for but a moment, yet a moment long enough to step onto the balcony – still damp and shining in the early morning sun.

Her eyes drifted down to the streets, the canals, and finally to a small café where locals had just begun to set up for the day.

To her surprise, her gaze was drawn to one figure in particular; surrounded by three others.

There he was, Noctis. Her Noctis. Sat enjoying the break in the weather; plucking vegetables from his plate and dropping them onto Ignis’ instead. Even from here she could feel the foul morning mood emanating off of him – he’d never been one for early starts – and it brought an even further soft smile to her lips.

She doubted they’d see each other before the rite. Perhaps during the public speech.

She hoped so.

For now though, she stepped back inside; and even as Noctis turned his head, feeling the weight of another’s gaze, his own fell upon an empty balcony, high up near the heavens yet warm with a light he could not place.


End file.
